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About JesusWhat is the Truth? Is There Only One Way To God?
A reply by John of AllFaith
A reader asks:
Subject: about Jesus
Question from Cordell:
Why is it through Jesus we are only able to see God/ be with God, even though other frames of thought and and even other religions can lead to the same overall ultimate Godhead.... I mean if God is everything, and descended in the form of Grace to man, why can't I know that outside of Jesus. And wouldn't that still be considered Faith? Can't it be said that our eyes are open now, but at the time of Jesus, the thinking was much different than today, so that Jesus opened the "eyes" offering people a chance to see. But can't it be said that so many generations later we have the advantage of history that our eyes are already open? Just like Einstein opened the minds of so many with his equations at their inception but now an eight grader can recall his equations. Is it possible that through Jesus the worship of the one God found a home among all the peoples of the world... but now, we already know that... so is it not enough to know God and not to have to continuously recite how we got there (Jesus) or are we continually paying homage... like thanksgiving? And that is why we pray in Jesus name? If knowledge of God begins with God, and we have faith in that ,are we not changed into the one we see? Or am I separating the trinity when I should be seeing them all as a perfect whole, each part intertwined perfectly, thus the message I receive is received perfectly. I guess I just do not understand why when people pray they say in Jesus name or use the term lord.... why not just God? In Gods name? Thank you God, instead of Thank you Jesus? Or doesn't it matter?
Also, who has the authority to baptize? Is Matthew 29:19 a call to all Chrisitians or only a select few with dignified "titles"?
Thank you for taking time to read through my ramblings.
My reply:
Hi Cordell,
A most important series of related questions and ones that are answered in countless different ways by different people. I'll be happy to weigh in with my thoughts ;-)
I'm assuming here that you have at least a basic knowledge of the Bible and Christian belief and that you would appreciate a more detailed reply than the standard short version: Because the Bible says so.
If any of the following is not clear or if you have other questions feel free to write back with followups.
According to the Bible and standard Christianity, God made humans perfect in every way and placed Adam and Eve in a perfect paradise. Had they not rebelled against God they would have gradually still produced offspring (this is conjecture but seems certain to me) and expanded the boundaries of the Garden until the whole world would have been transformed into a paradise in fellowship with God. That was God's Will for the earth and the humans according to the Bible.
Those people -- including millions of modern Christians -- who reject the teachings of the first portions of Genesis and embrace Darwinian and other Secular Humanist views utterly undermine the very heart of the traditional Christian religion, which is one reason it is now dying and has been replaced by Islam as the world's largest and fastest growing religion.
Christianity, as it has historically existed, CAN NOT EXIST under a Darwinian paradigm or belief system. Not only are they utterly incompatible and mutually exclusive doctrinally, there is no room in evolutionary theory for Christianity's most essential foundational pillar: What Jesus accomplished on the cross and how it was possible. More bluntly stated, if the theory of human evolution is true traditional Christianity -- including the role of Jesus as Savior -- is false (I don't accept Darwinism as true by the way).
Traditional, historic Christianity requires acceptance of the Genesis account of Creation and the fall of mankind:
Because of this rebellion in the Garden humankind separated itself from God (i.e. its our fault not His). Without this fall the Christian idea of Savior is meaningless.
When humans lived by God's Law He protected them and gave them potentially eternal lifespans (even after the fall many people lived to be hundreds of years old according to the Torah (the five Books of Moses) but the "sin nature" gradually shortened our longevity to current levels.
In time the entire world was in a state of rebellion against God's Sovereignty except for one family, that of Noah. God destroyed humanity for a second time, other than Noah's family and gave rules to guide mankind back into communion with Him. These rules are often divided into Seven essential Laws:
1. Worship Only the One True God
2. Honor and Praise the One True God
3. Respect and Protect Human Life
4. Respect the Family
5. Respect the Rights and Properties of Others
6. Respect the Sanctity of all Life
7. Pursue JusticeBut as humanity resettled the still drying Earth the rebellion continued and humanity repeatedly violated even the Seven Laws.
After the flood while humanity at large grew further away from the Creator there were always those who wished communion with Him and sought His forgiveness.
One of these people was Abraham.
For brevity I wont recount his story here, but God established a covenant or agreement/treaty between Abraham, through his wife Sarah and THEIR son Isaac and all of his descendants (the Hebrews, who we now refer to as the Jews). God promised that through these people He would one day re-unite the human race with Himself and establish the lost global Eden:
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.Judaism is based on this promise and for this reason the Jews are called "The Elect" or "Chosen People" of God.
Then somewhere around 7 BCE (BC) a Jewish baby was born in the city of Bethlehem and named Y'shua ben Yosef (Joshua son of Joseph).
The Jews believed, in harmony with their Scriptures, that God would one day send a Moshiach (king) to liberate them from their enemies. Over the years many people had arisen among the Jews who were considered by various people to be that Moshiach (Messiah). Among these possible Messiahs was Y'shua ben Yosef who most people today call "Jesus."
While many Jews accepted Y'shua as Moshiach others pointed out that there were certain critical prophecies he had not fulfilled (such as establishing the Kingdom and defeating their enemies) so they did not accept him as Moshiach. This debate continues to this day of course and is thoughtfully discussed in the book, "Why the Jews Rejected Jesus" by Rabbi David Klinghoffer if you are interested.
Then, in 70 CE (AD), exactly as Master Y'shua had prophesied (Matt 24:1-4) Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the Jews (including those who accepted Y'shua as Moshiach) fled the Holy City and resettled throughout the world, mixing with the local populations.
With the tragic loss of the Holy City and its Temple BOTH Judaism and the Way (the followers of Y'shua) were forced to adopt to new realities.
Judaism largely united around the teachings of the Pharisees and their Oral Torah (the Talmud etc) and "Rabbinical Judaism" was born. Today the vast majority of Jews follow a sect or "movement" of this system (i.e. Orthodox, Reform, Conservative or Reconstructionist Judaism) although a few others, like Kairite Judaism also still survive.
Among the followers of "the Way" the main surviving branch became Roman Catholicism (which later gave birth to Eastern Orthodoxy -- which technically began at the same time but I am trying to be brief here), Anglicanism and the vastly diverse Protestant sects or denominations of the Church.
Now for your question more specifically... The Roman Catholic Church declared that "Jesus" was/is the Messiah. Citing various passages and traditions as well as their own authority as "the One True Church" they proclaimed that since the Hebrew Scriptures only point to one Messiah and since Jesus WAS/IS he, there can only be one way to reconcile the world with/to God... That being Jesus. And in the New Testament (which the Catholic Church of course defined, edited and canonized) there are verses that seem to confirm this such as:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.While the various denominations left the Catholic Church for many different reasons, they all accepted (most of) of the Catholic Bible as the ultimate authority and this essential doctrine was maintained in almost all sects of the Church, although it is explained in various ways.
Essentially, Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxy generally see this as a matter of authorization and authority. God declared them "the defenders of the One True Faith" and hence only they have that authority by divine right of lineage. In defense they cite verses such as:
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit:
23 whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.As the "original Church" this, they believe, grants them sole authority to forgive and/or maintain the results of all sins. Without their blessing and forgiveness therefore there is NO forgiveness possible. When questioned they reply, "Who else was given this authority but us?"
Protestants are a mixed bag but their belief runs basically like this:
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve every human being on earth is "conceived in sin."
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.Because of this mutually inherited "sin nature" we require a cure, a redeemer who can counter the effect of the "Original Sin." That cure, they say, is Jesus and his blood (his sacrifice) and none else.
While Jews -- and with a couple of twists Catholics -- see Messiah as a king who rules more than anything else, Protestants view him more as a "personal Savior" who deals with individual sin. Unlike Catholics Protestants do not believe any human has the power to forgive sins. All we can do as Believers is "lead others to Christ" where they can request his forgiveness and atonement (regardless of sect affiliations etc).
"At some point," most Protestants believe, Jesus will return as a king and rule, but until then he is a "religious leader" and "personal savior" more than a "political leader."
Catholics on the other hand believe the Kingdom is already here in the form of the Church (hence in part they don't believe in the Rapture etc) while Protestants believe the Kingdom is yet to be established.
Protestants therefore believe that when one "accepts Jesus as ones personal Lord and Savior" one is "Born Again" or "Saved" without reliance on priests etc. and that salvation is ONLY available through Jesus personally. To say that one has fellowship with God in any other way is seen as a denial of the need of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection and hence as a repudiation of Christianity entire and thus as blasphemy or heresy. Of course in most cases this is NOT what those saying it believe or intend to suggest in any way. They don't view this in terms of us verses them.
Whereas the Catholics ask, "Who has been given the authority to rule the Kingdom of the Church beside us (i.e. the Vatican: the so-called "Throne of Peter") Protestants ask who besides Jesus was ever granted power to save souls? Its a very different approach to the issues.
Again they cite: John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Therefore both the Protestants and the Catholics claim to offer the "One Way to God through Jesus and his authority" even though they differ on how this is so practically.
There are other views however.
Some Christians are "Universalists." I speak not of the denomination that uses that name but of the belief system. They read for instance:
John 3:17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world might be saved through him.That "the WORLD," i.e. everyone and everything on it, would be and has been saved by Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection. They correctly note that the word "might" is not in the Greek text here, it is added in the English translation for style. The literal rendering is:
17 For God sent not his Son into world to condemn world; but that world through him saved.Translators often add words to tie thoughts together from one language to another for clarity. In some cases they inadvertently alter the meaning. This verse does not say 'might be saved' as in if they do something but that the world was saved without qualifier.
There is therefore an historic albeit minority view that says Master Y'shua "saved the world entire" already.
Likewise, you asked about the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Despite the Nicene Creed to contrary, there is an historically significant segment of the Church -- generally referred to Arians (not Aryans which refer to a racial group but "Arians" after a Priest named Arius: AD 250–336) -- who do not believe the Trinity is a biblical doctrine. Some even call it a heresy.
Harmonious with Judaism, Arians believe "God is One" and indivisible and see the Trinity Doctrine as the overlaying of Roman Pagan beliefs on the Church and moreso on the very nature of God. They do not believe Y'shua was God Incarnate nor that the Holy Spirit exists as a separate Person of a Trinity or "Godhead." They point to verses like the following to support their views:
Isaiah 42:8 I am Jehovah [or Yahveh: YHVH, Yod He Vav He], that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.Arians typically believe that only "the God of Israel" is the true God. They believe Y'shua (Jesus) was fully a human being although of impeccable character, morality, practice and faith.
Some Arians, like Jehovah's Witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventists (most Adventists are no longer Arians) add the peculiar unbiblical notion that Jesus was Michael the Archangel before taking human birth. Like most other Christians, most Arians believe he was/is the Messiah and tend to be in basic agreement with standard Christian beliefs otherwise.
As for who has authority to baptize... again there is disagreement.
In Catholicism only priests and those specifically authorized "by the Church" can conduct most religious rites.
Among Protestants this varies. Those who view baptism as "only" a symbolic statement of faith in Jesus following accepting salvation usually allow any sincere Christian to conduct the rite while those who view it an entrance into their local church congregation or denomination often only allow pastors etc. to conduct the rite.
In my opinion, biblically any sincere Believer is authorized by God to baptize others into the fold and only one baptism is ever required (i.e one need not be re-baptized when changing congregations etc) -- baptism is not a requirement for salvation by the way, it is a public announcement that one has received it. Ideally if one was "lead to Christ" by a specific person being baptized by that person would be the ideal (though not required).
As for "dignified titles," while I use them occasionally as well ("Pastor John" or more formally "Reverend John..." when I use my legal name), they are descriptive but not biblical. When I identify myself as "Pastor John" I'm saying that I have the willingness and calling of God to "pastor" people, to help them spiritually in varies ways. When I use the term "Reverend" I am saying that I have undergone formal training and received formal ordination by some Church body(s). Its like saying I have a Master's degree in religious studies (or placing an MA after my name). This only tells you that I did the coursework etc and received the piece of paper -- I do not hold a PhD and hence can not rightly use that title even though I know more in my field than many people with the degree -- however ALL Believers are equal regardless of their diverse callings, ordinations, degrees etc. and I do not believe the New Testament authorizes any priesthood other than "the Priesthood of all Believers."
One last point, each (non-Christian) religion has its own traditions, belief systems and answers to life's question. I judge none of them and have no right to do so. In the end, its a question of faith and personal belief. What has God revealed to you? Where has He led you? The closer we are to THAT point the closer we are to His Will.
Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?
7 will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?I hope this clarifies a few points and adds some helpful food for thought for your continuing studies.
~ Pastor John of AllFaith
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